The University of New Mexico (UNM) Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program and the Department of Biology are continuing to partner with New Mexico Highlands University, Eastern New Mexico University and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to encourage under-represented minority students studying for a Master's degree at the partner institutions to continue their education in biomedically related sciences at the University of New Mexico. Our annual Symposium for Southwestern Minority Students will be held to establish closer ties with potential program trainees. In addition we are proposing to add a new associate partner institution - the University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo -to the Coalition. The proposed program will support graduate students and the graduate programs at the Partner institutions by providing student salaries, tuition remission, travel funds and research supplies and equipment. In addition, the Coalition will provide opportunities for Partner institution faculty to receive mentoring and establish and enhance collaborations with UNM faculty. To strengthen the academic competitiveness of partner isntitution M.S. students, the program will provide courses and seminars at the partner institutions through on-site and distance education. Students from the M.S. programs will be carefully mentored by both home institutions and UNM faculty in order to facilitate their matriculation into UNM Ph.D. programs. They will be further mentored and supported financially by existing UNM training resources upon matriculation to UNM. A major effort by the program to assess the attainment of its goals and the short-term progress toward those goals will be made.